Kamil Rustam

Kamil Rustam is a guitarist, composer, arranger, songwriter and producer whose musical career has made known as a prolific musician in many different styles.

Rustam was born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and moved at an early age to Paris, France where he worked extensively for most of the top pop French artists, earning the 1985 "Les Victoires de la Musique" for Producer of the Year with his fellow producing partners Manu Katché and Gabriel Yared. He was also nominated as Best Studio Musician at the 1986 and 1987 "Les Victoires de la Musique". In 1996, he moved to Los Angeles where he has been busy working in the American entertainment industry. In 2021 he joined the house band of the French Edition of The Voice The Voice (French TV series) and divides his time between the U.S. and France.

Career

Session musician Kamil Rustam made himself famous for being able to play whatever style required and quickly became one of the most sought-after session guitarists in France in the 1980s and 1990s, earning him 2 nominations for Best Session Musician at the 1986 and 1987 "Les Victoires De La Musique".

Producing / arranging career Kamil Rustam started his producing career when schoolmate Patrick Bruel asked him in 1984 to produce his first single "Marre de cette nana-là" which sold over a million copies. He then produced numerous albums for best-selling French artists like Florent Pagny, Patricia Kaas and Phil Barney, and eventually got awarded Best Producer at the 1985 "Les Victoires De La Musique" for Michel Jonasz's album .

Band Preface

From 1985 to 1988 Kamil Rustam was full-time member of the band Preface. The band included Manu Katché on drums and lead vocal.

Cosmopolitain

Kamil Rustam released his debut album, Cosmopolitain, on October 20, 2017. The album contains instrumental compositions written in collaboration with keyboardist Arnaud Dunoyer, as well as an updated arrangement of Squeeze's 1981 hit song 'Tempted'. The album mostly maintains its sound, style and structures within a jazz fusion vein, yet Rustam exhibits his vast knowledge of various musical genres throughout. Contributors to the album include notable session musicians such as keyboardist Randy Kerber, acoustic bassists Mike Valerio, Laurent Vernerey and Tim Lefebvre, electric bassists Hadrien Feraud and Richard Bona, plus drummers Manu Katche, Vinnie Colaiuta and Peter Erskine. The album also includes guest appearances by soloists such as Bob Reynolds on sax, Mike Cottone on trumpet, on accordion and Philippe Saisse on vibraphone.

Rustam had previously recorded with legendary saxophonist Michael Brecker back in 1997 and the track 'New Amsterdam' had been rerecorded around Brecker's inspired and melodic soloing, ten years after his untimely passing.

The lead track 'Sand Dunes' had been made available in video form prior to the official release and has accumulated over one hundred thousand views since April 2017.

Artists collaboration List of Artists Kamil Rustam has recorded written or performed with: Matt Pokora CeCe Winans Velton Ray Bunch El DeBarge Gerry Goffin Barry Goldberg Vladimir Cosma Slimane (singer) Marc Lavoine Zaz Louane Anne Sila Aaron Neville Brent Jones Christophe Ruben Studdard Gabriel Yared Julien Doré H.B. Barnum Kendji Girac Nolwenn Leroy Jennifer Holliday B.B. King Michael Brecker Patrick Fiori Yael Naïm Charles Aznavour Zazie Johnny Hallyday Patrick Bruel Serge Gainsbourg Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark Michel Berger Jean-Jacques Goldman Michel Jonasz Romano Musumarra Maurane Manu Katché Michael Bland MC Solaar David Foster Gabrial McNair Guy Roche Shy'm Cory Rooney Pino Palladino David Hallyday Humberto Gatica Jody Watley Patricia Kaas Lââm Bonnie Tyler Ben Vereen Florent Pagny Francis Cabrel Celine Dion Jennifer Lopez Amel Bent Barbra Streisand Peter Gabriel Alejandro Sanz Shaggy Christophe Maé Charlotte Church Josh Groban Toni Braxton Enrique Iglesias Cher Merwan Rim Nolwenn Leroy Vince Gill Leslie Youssou N'Dour Kelly Clarkson Bruce Willis Snoop Dogg Vitaa Anastacia Chrissie Hynde Sinéad O'Connor Jessica Simpson Aaron Neville France Gall James Ingram En Vogue Oleta Adams Vanessa Paradis Chimène Badi Francis Cabrel Deniece Williams Stephanie Mills Peabo Bryson Jeffrey Osborne Jon Secada Sofiane Pamart Juliette Armanet Patrice Rushen Marc Lavoine Nolwenn Leroy Calogero El DeBarge Tina Arena Claudio Capeo Lara Fabian Caroline Campbell Natasha St-Pier Stevie Wonder & John Mayer

Music and performances for films List includes songs and soundtrack 1988: Preuve d'amour 1998: Black Mic Mac 2 1995: 1997: La vérité si je mens 1998: Taxi 1999: The Bone Collector 2000: Rugrats In Paris 2000: Under Suspicion 2002: The Wild Thornberrys Movie 2003: Rugrats Go Wild 2006: Blood Diamond 2007: The Neighbor 2008: Dark Streets 2009: The Ministers 2010: Lullaby for pi 2012: Clash 2020: Le Lion 2020: Divorce Club 2020: C'est Magnifique 2020: Call Of Duty Mobile Season 6

Awards Best Producer (winner): 1985 "Les Victoires de la Musique" Best Session Musician (nominee): 1986 "Les Victoires de la Musique" Best Session Musician (nominee): 1987 "Les Victoires de la Musique"